Motion graphic design is the art of creating moving scenes with graphics, animation, text and special effects.
It’s a process that combines graphic design and animation to communicate ideas and messages that can be both entertaining and informative, depending on what the goal is.
Best of all, you don’t need to be an experienced animator or graphic designer to start making your own motion graphics today.
With pre-made templates and intuitive software like
Motion graphic design is an increasingly popular form of visual communication used in everything from movies to commercials and more. And now you can learn how to make your own motion graphics thanks to these Skillshare classes.
They have become an essential part of numerous marketing campaigns.
From Ted Talks to product and service advertisements, motion graphics are a significant piece in the puzzle of success and brand recognition.
As a result, they have been the target of many marketers and design professionals alike.
Towards the end of last year, we published a collection of trending motion graphics animations which included hundreds of examples and can be viewed here.
However, this year has already seen new trends emerge with unique ideas and techniques that capture the attention of viewers.
Motion Graphic Design Inspirations & Trends
What Is motion graphic design?
Motion graphic design is a contemporary term given to explain all graphic design that moves, which is created using motion graphics software.
Truly creative motion graphic design can be used to bring life and vibrancy to any subject matter, from scientific diagrams to video games.
Motion graphic design is a subset of graphic design in that it uses graphic design principles in a film or video context through the use of animation or film footage.
The term “motion graphics” was coined by the designers of the visual effects for Jurassic Park and was originally used to describe 2D animation that took place in 3D environments.
Motion graphics have since become more prominent with the rise of technology, and motion graphics can now be created digitally, with the aid of programs such as
Motion graphics software allows the user to alter static images or objects by moving, morphing and animating them in a way that creates the illusion of movement.
This can be accomplished through a variety of techniques including:
Image Warping
This technique creates an illusion of movement by altering the shape or form of an image. For example, an image of a face could be warped by pulling on the features, creating a sense of movement.
Particle Systems
These are vector graphics that are manipulated to create shapes, effects, and transitions in an animation.
3D Objects
3D objects have been a staple in digital imagery since their inception. Motion graphics software allows the user to manipulate 3D objects in real-time within their chosen project.
Animation
This is the most basic form of motion graphics and involves bringing life to static images or objects through movement, usually overseen using pre-built motion templates such as bounce, flicker.
Top Motion Graphics Trends And Examples
Last year saw great typography animation trends emerge with popular effects such as Fluid Typography Animations and Blurred Backgrounds.
We expect to see more designers using overlapping typography to create interesting effects.
For example, using a mix of text styles and structures like 3D text or logos to create visually striking designs. Motion Graphics Typography can also be used to create stunning introductions for videos by animating different text styles with creative transitions for example.
Graphics Design Styles
There are 6 styles of graphics design:
1.Traditional
2.Post modern
3. Pop
4. Minimal
5. High-tech
6. Abstract Traditional. This design has been around for years, and it has evolved into many different styles including realism, impressionism, and photo realism.
This style is used to capture the essence of things, whether you are choosing to show a formal portrait or something more casual like a snapshot. The idea of traditional design is that it is recognizable and easily read by the viewer as the subject in question.
Post modern design has been around for quite some time now and was actually launched after traditional design was created, although it is not nearly as popular as traditional design is today.
The main idea behind post modern design has always been to create a building or structure in a way that is symbolic of something only the architect could understand.
Post modern designs were mainly chosen because they allowed people to view an image in a way they have never seen before and did not even know existed.
Pop art is one of the most popular styles of graphics design today and is used in all types of designs including movie posters and album covers.
Movie posters are created in this style because they need to capture the attention of the viewer in order to get them interested enough to actually watch the movie.
Motion Graphics Trends
Motion graphics have become a hugely popular part of online content production, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it’s likely that they will only become more popular in the coming months.
A big part of this trend has to do with the “on-demand” culture that has taken over the internet. People have grown used to being able to access content whenever they want, wherever they want.
They are an essential part of this on-demand culture because they allow users to consume information with a quickness and ease that is unparalleled by other forms of media.
Motion graphics also lend themselves well to promoting user interaction on your site. They can be used to create interactive data visualizations and charts that invite consumers to play around with the information to see what comes out.
This can be great for those who are looking for a more hands-on approach to learning about certain topics or data sets.This feature is especially useful for companies that are trying to sell products or services related to their content as it gives potential customers a better idea of how a product might work in real life.
Motion Graphic Design Inspiration
Motion graphic video is a form of visual communication that uses the combination of images, design and motion to convey a message or tell a story.The goal of motion graphic video is to engage, inform and/or entertain an audience.
The process involves editing a sequence of still images together in order to create the illusion of movement. There are many different tools and applications used to create motion graphics, but they all have one thing in common: they use multiple layers of images or video mapped over each other.
How To Get Started In Motion Graphic Design
A good starting point is to download
Another great tool is Cinema 4D, which is a 3D rendering application used for creating realistic 3D models for motion graphics. After you get familiar with the software you can start with tutorials on Adobe Tutorials on YouTube to learn how to create simple animations.
You can also check out Vimeo Video School, which offers free tutorials from professional video creators on how to make effective motion graphic videos.
Graphic Design Inspiration
Inspired graphic design is almost always the result of a well-planned strategy. Here are some best practices for designing a successful, effective and cohesive brand:
- Map out your graphic design. A great way to start planning your design is by building a visual map. Think of it as a guide to how you want your brand identity to look, feel and work so that it conveys the right messages and inspires action from your target audience.
- Choose the right images. The images that you choose to represent your brand are often very powerful in communicating what you do and who you are. Make sure you choose images that are relevant and appropriate for your target audience.
- Create a style guide. This is an important resource for all members of your team and also ensures that each member of your team (including freelancers) follow the same guidelines.
- Use color wisely. Color impacts people emotionally in a very powerful way. Use color strategically to convey meaning, improve brand recognition and create emotion among your audience.
- Know who you’re talking to. There are multiple ways to segment audiences using many different demographic variables – age, gender, location, hobbies, interests etc – but ultimately, it all comes down to knowing who you’re talking to and how you do.
Motion Graphics Websites
WriterMotion graphics websites are a great way to showcase your work and demonstrate your skills.
They are also useful if you want to give potential clients a behind the scenes look at what goes into each project, or simply want to show them all of your previous work.
In the article below, I’m going to be showcasing 50 sites that use motion graphics in their website design. Some are pretty simple and others are more complex but all of them have something interesting about them.
www.farnhamstreetdesign.com/
2D And 3D Blend Motion Graphic Design
That’s why proper motion graphics is so important. The audience has to believe you, even if they’re not seeing it with their own eyes.
And that’s where the right blend of 2D and 3D comes into play.Telling a storyAnimation alone can’t tell a story.
It’s only one piece of the equation. You have to provide context and structure for your audience in order for them to follow along and understand what’s going on in your video.
The first step is setting an overarching goal for your animation.What are you trying to accomplish? Who is this message meant for?
Once you figure that out, it’ll be easier to decide how much animation you want to use and what kind of camera movement you need.
Blend 2D and 3D objects together Even if you are using 2D imagery in your video, don’t forget about 3D objects as well! It’s not enough to just have flat layers moving around the screen; you need depth and dimensionality in order to catch people’s attention and hold their interest.
Even if there aren’t any words or messages on a particular slide, the subtler the better since it will give your audience a chance to take note of everything going on around them.
Seamless Transitions in Motion Graphic Design
As motion graphic designers we need to make sure that the transition between two pieces of text or two images is seamless. There are a few different techniques that you can use but I will be talking about my favorite, which is using the Transform effect.
Tutorial:
Step 1: Duplicate your background layer. This will allow you to change it without having any effect on your original work.
Step 2: Open up the Transform effect and start off by going to Distort. You want to use Skew for this transition, so it will blend in with the rest of your animation.
Step 3: Now that you have your skew transition set, you need to adjust your timing. Click on the time bar and drag it over until you see it reach the duration that you want.
If you don’t like how long it takes, just keep adjusting until you get what you want!As always with these tutorials be sure to experiment and play around with different transitions until you find one that works best for your project!
Once you have found a transition effect that works best for your project, it’s important to save it as a preset in case you ever need it again! Then save your file as a .aep so all of your effects are stored together!
Appeal To Emotion in Motion Graphic Design
Whether you’re designing a website, a brochure or any other type of graphic design, you want to appeal to the emotions of your target audience. People choose to do business with businesses they like and trust.
If you can make your graphics appeal to your clients’ emotions, they will be more likely to respond favorably to your products or services.
Tailor your graphics to the demographics of your client base. For example, if you are selling luxury items, show the benefits of owning these items.
If you are selling technology products that are cutting edge, focus on how they will give the consumer an edge in their personal or professional life. Use colors that are appropriate for your demographic as well.
For example, luxury buyers typically prefer gold or silver colors versus bright colors such as red or orange.
Also use text and fonts that are pleasing to the eye. If your client base is mainly male, use fonts that are more bold and masculine versus fonts that are more delicate and feminine.
Create a mood for those who view your graphics by using the appropriate colors for each product or service you sell. For example, if you sell a variety of different products from healthcare items to children’s toys, create a warm and welcoming feeling.
Text Graphics in Motion Graphic Design
Motion graphics is an important part of design. It attracts customers, most especially young generation who are targeted by most companies and business establishments. This is because it makes the advertisement more appealing, more interesting to look at and will most certainly catch the attention of the viewers.
Tricks in Motion Graphic Design
The trick for any designer is to make sure that whatever design is created will surely capture the attention of viewers and this factor can be achieved through motion graphic design.
It is essential to remember that it must be interesting, captivating, joyful and enticing enough so that it can easily grab the attention of customers.
One of the things to remember when you are creating motion graphic designs is that it must have a balance between all details so as not to overpower each other or it can be boring.
The colors must also be carefully chosen since they must have the same effect on people and they must attract them towards your ad. One good tip would be using colors that could easily grab attention such as red, yellow or green because these colors attract more people than other colors do.
It is always best if you use illustrations for your work because this will give your viewers a first impression about what your ad is all about. The illustration should express the message clearly.
Retro Motion Graphics
Motion Graphics are usually used in promos and in the introduction of a show. They can be funny, inspiring or awesome.
For my final year project I chose to focus on creating a 30 second intro animation to an imaginary TV show called “Retro Motion Graphics” which is a tribute to classic 80s and 90s television graphics and video effects.
The main objective was to practice animating typography and add an extra layer of visual interest with the animated elements. The end result is a fun piece of work that uses the following:
-An original soundtrack by my classmate, Joe Kinchin-Allen, who also composed all the sound effects for the project.
-Custom made 3D models for all the elements that are introduced at the start of the animation (such as the camera, zoom lens, text etc).
-Layers of 2D animation that were put together over a few weeks time.
-A variety of different transitions and wipes.
-Photoshop for all of the compositing.Retro graphics can be used for a variety of projects, including web design, advertising, print media and movies.
The style is most commonly associated with the early days of television and film. A few examples of retro motion graphics applications include movie titles, business presentations, games, CD and DVD covers, logos and websites.
